Finding Her Way Back
by MattHardy-And-AmyDumas-4eva
Summary: After a life filled with love and loss, Amy vows never to get close to anyone again. She keeps that promise…until she meets Matt Hardy who only wants to be her friend and help her. But by constantly pushing him away, is she also risking the chance to mi
1. Prologue

Title: Finding Her Way Back-Prologue. Author: Carly. Rating: PG. Disclaimer: I only own any original characters later in the story. Everyone else owns themselves. Summary: After a life filled with love and loss, Amy vows never to get close to anyone again. She keeps that promise.until she meets Matt Hardy who only wants to be her friend and help her. But by constantly pushing him away, is she also risking the chance to miss out on true love?  
  
After the death of her husband, Andy, and their four-year-old daughter, Amelia, Amy Dumas is left devastated and unable to love again. An unnecessary tragedy which leaves her alone. To Amy, they were all she had left. They were her world, her life, everything she lived for. She feels everyone she has ever loved has left her and she promises never to open her heart up to anyone again.  
  
With the never-ending pain of loss and grief, Amy is left to pick up the pieces once again, which is a situation all too familiar. She has suffered her entire life with people dying or leaving her, everyone that she has loved. The final blow came when Andy and Ash were killed in a car crash one horrible November morning. Nothing seems worth living for anymore and she abuses herself in so many ways, the few friends she has left that she hasn't yet pushed away, think she is on the road heading for self- destruction.  
  
When she offered a contract with the WWE, she meets Matt Hardy, someone who knows the feeling of loss only too well. They slowly become friends but Amy continues to abuse herself and she isn't strong enough yet to open up to Matt. Understanding all of the loss in her past, he wants nothing more than to become her friend, to help and to heal her, show her life and love again. With everyone else around her giving up on Amy, Matt is determined to help her. However, she is terrified he will get too close and pushes him away, continuing on in her destructible ways, slowly and painfully killing herself. Although she realises she is in desperate need of help, Amy thinks that by allowing him in her heart, she will only end up losing him, just like she has everyone else. And she just can't take that chance, knowing that if it did, she wouldn't be able to recover. But there is no way he is leaving her.  
  
As time goes on, his determination to heal her wounds grows and their lives become entangled together so much, they have become friends for life, no matter what happened. And at the end of it all, Matt may be able to offer Amy more than friendship, the possibility of true love but she has to be willing to trust him and allow him in.  
  
A story of one woman's pain of a lifetime of loss, the extraordinary strength to carry on, profound friendships, and the healing power of love as she makes the journey to find her way back home. 


	2. Chapter 1

Title: Finding Her Way Back-Chapter 1. Author: Carly. Rating: PG. Disclaimer: I only own any original characters later in the story. Everyone else owns themselves. Summary: After a life filled with love and loss, Amy vows never to get close to anyone again. She keeps that promise.until she meets Matt Hardy who only wants to be her friend and help her. But by constantly pushing him away, is she also risking the chance to miss out on true love?  
  
Traffic was moving at snails' pace as the sun shone down on everyone in Connecticut. It was the middle of August and wonderful outside. But instead of being out, Amy Dumas was stuck in her car, getting frustrated from the heat, the lack of movement on the highway and the fact that she was running late. Amy was due to have been at her appointment five minutes ago but with the traffic, she guessed she wouldn't be at her meeting for another fifteen minutes.  
  
Clad in a smart black suit, her flame-red hair hanging loosely, she was due to meet Vince McMahon, chairman of the World Wrestling Entertainment. It was the first time she had ever worn a suit but Amy vowed never to wear one again. She'd been interested in wrestling for years and one day decided to go for it. She started practicing for a while before travelling to Mexico to train and started wrestling in independent promotions. She lived, ate, and breathed wrestling. It became her entire life and she was determined to succeed. Amy had always had that passion and drive, to be number one. Once she wanted to do something, she couldn't be convinced otherwise. And wrestling was the same. Amy had loved it since her teenage years but only recently decided to pursue it as a career. And while some people supported her, others weren't so encouraging. They thought it was stupid, especially for a woman to get involved. But she was incredibly strong-minded and determined to prove everyone wrong.  
  
After years of slogging away, training more or less twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, Amy had finally started getting noticed and had even managed to get into ECW. Even though it had only been for five months, she had gone in, turning heads straight away and had left a lasting impression on everyone. She wasn't the typical female wrestler with her high-flying moves and tomboyish looks, but it differentiated her from all the other women of the wrestling business. And now, the WWE had taken notice.  
  
Amy eventually arrived for her meeting with Vince fifteen minutes late. She hurried to the top floor and knocked on the door of the room that the secretary had told her Mr. McMahon was. Finally, she heard someone call her in and she entered the huge, plush room. She recognised him immediately from the TV and realised Jim Ross was there also.  
  
"I'm so sorry I'm late, Mr McMahon. Traffic was horrendous," Amy apologised, genuinely,  
  
"It's okay, Mrs Dumas. Please take a seat," Vince replied, pointing out a leather chair at the huge table. She sat down and flung her hair behind her shoulders and smiled at them. They talked then, for about an hour. She told them all about her love of wrestling, training in Mexico and working in ECW. By the end, they seemed extremely impressed by her and didn't hesitate in signing her up. Vince and JR sensed there was something different about this woman. They'd seen tapes of her matches and saw she wasn't just average, but way beyond that. She was real and that was what they loved about her. They had clearly told her she had a unique wrestling style, at least for a woman and it was something they hadn't seen in a long time. She was a breath of fresh air for them and they loved it.  
  
Amy left the room thoroughly excited. They needed to draw up a contract first and explained it would be sent to her through the post in several days time. She decided to have a look around the arena, hopefully to be seeing a lot more in the near future. Realising she was thirsty, Amy decided to head over to a vending machine she had seen earlier to get a drink, all the while thinking of how successful the meeting had been. Amy walked thorough the hallways, her uncomfortable, new shoes aching her feet, and finally made it to the vending machine and got herself a drink. Despite how happy she was feeling from the interview, there was no denying that Amy couldn't wait to get home. Her black trouser suit had since become unbearable in the heat and her shoes were hurting her feet beyond belief, as she was only normally used to trainers or such. As she took a long drink from her cold bottle of water, she had no idea someone was watching her.  
  
From several feet away, the man stood there, taken aback from the stranger's beauty. Considering that he was often surrounded by the beautiful Diva's of the WWE, he should have been used to gorgeous women by now. But he had never seen someone so striking with her great figure, long flame-red hair and soft hazel eyes. He easily guessed she was in about her middle twenties. Plucking up the courage, he finally made his way over to her and staring at her for the past few minutes.  
  
"Hey, are you new here?" he asked, somewhat shyly.  
  
"Sort of, I've just had a meeting with Vince McMahon now...I'm Amy Halliwell," she introduced herself as, offering her left hand, her bottle in the other.  
  
"I'm...Matt Hardy," the man replied, hesitating and feeling his spirits break when he saw the wedding band on her hand. Matt was too late, she was already taken. But that didn't stop him finding her incredibly attractive. He observed her features in more detail now and saw the horrible pain evident in her hazel eyes. Something traumatizing had obviously happened in her recent past.  
  
"Yeah I know, I've seen you on TV a lot lately. You're an awesome wrestler!"  
  
"Thanks. So, how did your meeting with the boss go?"  
  
"Great, actually. I start as soon as the contract is sorted. Well, I hate to cut this short, but I have to get going. I'll see you around, Matt and it was nice to meet to you."  
  
"Yeah, nice meeting you too. Listen, find me when you start or whenever and maybe we can hang out sometime or something. I'm usually in the locker rooms." Amy smiled and waved at him then as she left and made her way to her car. She thought about Matt all the way there and on her flight home, thinking of how genuine and nice he seemed, and of course, good-looking. But she forced herself not to feel that way, it wasn't right. She felt like she was betraying her husband if she did. But Matt stayed in the back of her mind as she entered her house and for the rest of the day, as she ate some dinner, tidied her house up slightly and played with her dog, Cody, Amy found herself thinking about Matt Hardy. She could only hope that they could at least be friends.  
  
And the next week, after the contract had been posted to her, signed and returned, Amy was on the plane to Ohio. All she could think about was her new WWE career, conjuring up new ideas or new moves she could try. She had since stopped herself thinking of Matt, as she knew she was betraying her husband otherwise. Amy owed him more than that and wouldn't allow herself to fall in love with somebody else. Besides, she and Matt had only met once, they barely knew one another. The plane landed at three o'clock and after collecting her luggage, hired a car to get to the arena. It took her another hour to get there, mainly because she had made several wrong turns and a stop to grab something to eat. At four, she arrived at the arena, and headed straight over to Mr. McMahon's office. When she eventually found it, Amy knocked on the door and waited for him to call her in. He did, after a few moments, and as she entered, saw that he was busy looking through forms and sorting out some odds and ends. Vince smiled when he saw her and offered her a cup of coffee as she sat down, which Amy politely refused. They talked then for about half an hour to an hour about new ideas and possible storylines. In the end, they decided to team her with Essa Rios, a wrestler who hadn't had a decent storyline for a while but Vince also knew that because they had pretty much similar wrestling styles, they should have a good chemistry. He took her to visit Essa afterward and instantly saw that they got on well together, probably as they knew each other somewhat from training in Mexico.  
  
By eight o'clock that night, they had everything pretty much sorted. Amy was due to appear on WWE TV on Raw...............Vince showed her around the arena and introduced her to many of the wrestlers and the Divas. Everyone had been great with her and had instantly made her feel welcome. After it was all said and done, Amy felt exhausted and was tempted to find a hotel and crash out. But as she was making her way out of the arena, she came across a locker room with the familiar name emblazoned on the front. In huge black letters read 'Matt and Jeff Hardy'. At first, she didn't feel right about intruding but almost involuntary found herself knocking on the door and waiting for an answer. Finally, a young man with multi-coloured hair opened the door.  
  
"Hi, can I help with anything?" he asked, kindly.  
  
"is Matt there?" Amy asked, simply. The young man yelled to his brother that there was someone for him and moments later, Matt came to the door, wearing just black cargo jeans and a towel around his neck with his wet hair sexily hanging loosely. He immediately smiled at the woman before him and asked her in. "I just thought I'd stop by and say 'hey'."  
  
"I'm glad you came. Jeff, this is Amy. She's new here.we met the other week. Amy, this is my crazy brother, Jeff," Matt introduced the two as Amy gave a slight laugh and Jeff hit his older brother playfully. Matt was being truthful when he said he was glad Amy had come. For the past week, all he had done was think about her which he also thought was insane, as he knew nothing about her. But after meeting her that day, not only had he thought about her beauty but also the expression in her eyes and face. It had been so clear to him, maybe even a little too much. It was a look of incredible loss and despair, something he knew well ever since his mother had died of cancer when he had been just twelve years old. Matt had never gotten over the loss and in a way it continued to affect him. But with Amy, it just seemed a thousand times worse, as though he knew it was, or had been, a reoccurring event. And he had easily been able to tell of the story of tears behind her smile. He sensed a great deal of heartache from her past, something so traumatic that had hurt her greatly. But Matt knew he had no right just yet to ask her anything like that, it was far too personal but he understood simply, by just looking at her, that Amy wouldn't want to talk about it. It was obvious, especially now, as he observed her closer, that whatever had happened, she hadn't gotten over it yet but for some reason, Matt felt drawn to her and he wanted to help her. "So, Amy, how has everything been the past week?" he asked, breaking himself from his train of thought.  
  
"Great, actually. Mr. McMahon and I have talked about possible storylines. All I know so far is that my wrestling name will be Lita and I'm pairing with Essa Rios for a while," she explained.  
  
"That's cool. Essa's a great guy. Maybe you could start training with us. Some people have told us that our extreme wrestling styles are pretty much the same," Matt suggested, in his southern drawl, and went on to tell her about his organisation, OMEGA. Amy loved the idea when she heard her and quickly accepted their offer. For the next forty-five minutes, the three of them talked about wrestling and made arrangements to meet up so they could all train together before Matt and Jeff had to get ready for the match. Amy left then, to find a hotel, thinking about the Hardy brothers. Jeff had been great with her and they all clicked instantly but she also knew that would have to force herself from feeling anything to Matt. Now that she had spent more time with him, she found herself becoming more and more attracted to him but also clearly understood that not only wasn't she ready anything like that, but it would be a huge betrayal to her husband. Amy had promised him she wouldn't ever do that to him.and she could only hope she stuck it, having no idea the influence he was about to have on her life. 


	3. Chapter 2

Title: Finding Her Way Back-Chapter 2. Author: Carly. Rating: PG. Disclaimer: I only own any original characters later in the story. Everyone else owns themselves. Summary: After a life filled with love and loss, Amy vows never to get close to anyone again. She keeps that promise.until she meets Matt Hardy who only wants to be her friend and help her. But by constantly pushing him away, is she also risking the chance to miss out on true love?  
  
It had already been a month since Matt and Amy met and they were very slowly becoming friends. She had made her first appearance on TV and had wowed the fans by performing a hurricanrana. Matt and Jeff were the first ones to congratulate her and the fans were already taking to her. When she was wrestling, Amy seemed one of the happiest people alive but Matt had noticed over the past fortnight that she was incredibly sad otherwise and kept herself to herself.  
  
She was doing a photo shoot with Essa Rios one Sunday afternoon. Amy wasn't in the best of moods that day. She was feeling uncomfortable showing her body off so much for the pictures and the weather was far too hot but the heat was capitalised by the lights all day. There was also slight tension in the atmosphere when Amy had had a minor disagreement over them wanting her to remove her wedding band, something she had refused to do. But Vince had stated early on that any relationships were to be kept secret for as long as possible, which sometimes meant taking the ring off. But to her, that ring signified her love and marriage to her husband. They had been working for nearly four hours when they finally stopped for lunch. Amy drove around for a while before stopping at a diner and went inside, where, as though by fate, Matt sat alone eating food.  
  
Over recent weeks, Amy felt herself being pulled closer to him, no matter how hard she tried to stay away. She couldn't seem to allow herself to get close to him, in spite of their connection and all they had in common. She found herself thinking about him most of the time now and she hated that. Instinctively, she began walking over to him but suddenly stopped and considering leaving when he spotted her and called her over. Forcing a smile, she made her way to him and sat down at the booth. Matt asked her how the shoot was going and Amy told him about her little problem with the photographers. They talked for a while about wrestling and next weeks shows. Matt sensed that Amy was holding back but he didn't want to push her into anything.  
  
He was definitely attracted to her by now and had come to love her passion for the wrestling business. Anybody and everybody could tell that Amy's life revolved around wrestling, much like it did with Matt. They could talk about it for hours without getting bored. He excused himself then after they finished eating to go to the bathroom. While he was gone, the waitress came with their check and Amy pulled her purse out to pay for it when she suddenly caught sight of a photo taken roughly a year ago. She stared at it for a long time, tears falling down her face.  
  
Matt had finished up in the bathroom and started walking back to the table and Amy who's back was facing him. As he approached her, he saw her looking at a photo of herself, a young handsome-looking man with dark hair and blue eyes, and a gorgeous little girl who looked about three or four. She had hazel eyes like Amy and long brown hair like the man.  
  
"Hey Red. I'm back," Matt said, as he sat back down and suddenly realised that Amy was crying. She hurriedly tried to wipe away the tears but to no avail. He had already noticed. "What's the matter? Why are you crying? Who are they in the photo?"  
  
For a moment, she hesitated in telling him until she finally blurted out. "My husband and daughter." Matt looked at her surprised. Amy rarely talked about her husband and he hadn't even known she had a daughter. She hardly spoke about anything of her life, only that she missed her husband and he knew how loyal she was to him. Matt didn't even know his name nor had he ever seen him. It was evident in his eyes that he wanted to know more but Amy was only willing to give him the basics. "Andy's twenty seven and our daughter, Amelia, is six. I'm just crying because I miss them so much." Matt could see the pain in her eyes, which he guessed was because Amy hadn't seen them much lately. He changed the subject then and told her some jokes, mainly in an attempt to cheer her up.  
  
Amy went back to the photo shoot afterward, feeling happier after being with Matt. The shoot only lasted another hour and that night, Amy had a successful match during the house show and over the next two days on Raw and Smackdown. She was building a huge fan base already and Matt and Jeff were extremely proud of her. And on the Wednesday morning they were due home, Matt asked Amy if she wanted to stay at his place in Cameron. At first, she nearly jumped at the chance, as she wanted to spend more time with him before declining his offer. She needed to go home to Florida to see her family. And Matt had to respect that, no matter how disappointed he felt inside. He just wanted to spend as much time as could with her.  
  
Amy got home around lunchtime and after sorting a few things out, which included seeing to Andy and Amelia, decided to ring Matt in the evening. He sounded pleased to hear from her so soon and they talked for about half an hour about things. At the end of their phone call, he told her that he looked forward to seeing her on Saturday and Amy felt her heart suddenly ache for him. 'I'm married for goodness sake!' she mentally scolded herself. 'It's not fair on your husband to fall for someone else.' They said goodbye then and she found herself missing him. She forced any thoughts of Matt out of her head over the next few days and concentrated on being home.  
  
And the next Saturday, they were in New Orleans for the shows and Amy headed straight to the arena from the airport. She found Matt and Jeff's locker room almost instantly and they hung out for a while before she went in search for Essa Rios to strategise for their match later that evening. Matt couldn't take his eyes off her as she left the locker room and Jeff watched his older brother intently. He'd never admitted it before but Jeff easily guessed that Matt felt something for Amy. Every time they talked about her, his face would light up and whenever she walked into a room, he'd just stare at her.  
  
Their matches went well that night and Amy had had the chance to perform some high-flying moves, which had left the fans in awe. Several of the wresters decided to go to a club after the show and Amy went with Trish, another new female wrestler who she had become friends with. She looked fantastic in black trousers and a sparkly purple halter-top with her hair hanging loosely down her back.  
  
Matt was arriving later with Jeff but he had no idea that night, he would learn about a side of Amy he never thought possible. Amy had been at the club for nearly an hour when Matt walked in and headed straight to the bar for drinks but he suddenly saw something that shocked him to his very core. There, in front of Matt, was Amy disappearing to the toilets.with another guy. They were all over each other and didn't stop kissing as they made their way to the back.  
  
When Matt regained his senses, he barged through the crowd and made his way to where she was. If it was one thing that Matt hated, it was dishonesty and infidelity. She'd made him believe that she was so devoted to her husband and yet, her she was making out with some other bloke! As he got to the bathrooms, he heard Amy moaning slightly but he had since lost his sanity as he burst in on them. Amy instantly pulled away from the guy she was with and looked at Matt, almost outraged.  
  
"I thought you were married!" he yelled, without any sense of thought. Past experiences with girlfriends cheating on him made him realise how wrong and even, disgusting it was, in his opinion.  
  
"I am. But that has nothing to do with you!" she shouted back as the stranger left the toilets, without either Matt or Amy noticing.  
  
"Well, I never expected this of you. Why give the impression you love your husband so much then have sex with some random guy? Especially since you have a daughter with that man." Amy was suddenly crying at this point and Matt knew he had hit a raw nerve.  
  
"They're dead. Andy and Amelia are fucking dead!" she blurted out, without realising... 


	4. Chapter 3

Title: Finding Her Way Back-Chapter 3. Author: Carly. Rating: PG. Disclaimer: I only own any original characters later in the story. Everyone else owns themselves. Summary: After a life filled with love and loss, Amy vows never to get close to anyone again. She keeps that promise.until she meets Matt Hardy who only wants to be her friend and help her. But by constantly pushing him away, is she also risking the chance to miss out on true love?  
  
~November, 1999~  
  
It was a horrible November morning. Outside, the rain was hammering down and the wind was howling. Twenty-four-year-old Amy Halliwell was making breakfast for her husband of three years, Andy and their daughter, Amelia. Despite the weather though, they were all happy that morning. They all ate their breakfast together before Andy would have to leave for his job as a club owner and take Amelia, five, to her playgroup.  
  
Amy had met Andy in high school. They became friends and developed such a close relationship over the years. She always thought he was good-looking, with dark hair and huge blue eyes but always remained platonic throughout their three and a half year friendship until they went to different colleges. Then, just after their Christmas break in her first year, he transferred to her college and suddenly, things began to change, and eventually, one night, they became lovers. She'd fallen pregnant almost instantly which had been a huge shock for them but went ahead with it anyway and on his twenty-first birthday, baby Amelia had been born. They married nineteen months later in the August of 1995 and since then, had fallen more and more in love every day.  
  
At eight-thirty that morning, she waved them off and thought of all their blissful years together. She and Andy were happy, maybe a slight argument here and there, but only ones that any other normal married couple had as well. The rest of her morning was spent clearing up the house a little and going for a long run despite the weather. She had wrestling practise at eleven and it was nearly half past ten when she arrived back at home again. Amy noticed she had a couple of message on her answer machine but just about had enough to shower and change again before practise so she decided to read them later. She watched some TV while getting ready and flipped the news on. Nothing new or exciting had happened, just some stories about politicians, floods and gang wars. There had been a couple of things about an update on a murdered family several weeks prior and a car crash which had caused the roads to be closed off but all Amy had to worry about was being late for practise. She hurried out of the house then and got in her car, thinking about her day ahead.  
  
*****  
  
Andy put the car radio on and waved to Amy who was standing at the door of their house. Amelia was in the back in her car seat, playing with her dolls as he drove off down the road. The rain was practically slamming against the window and he could just about see in front of him, especially since it was still quite dark out.  
  
He drove carefully along with busy road, hoping he could get to his meeting on time. A local newspaper wanted to do an article on his club and they arranged to meet at nine but while Andy always dropped Amelia off her playgroup every day, that morning was hindering his schedule a bit, he had to admit. And now, the rain was slowing everything down. The traffic was crawling along the road and every minute seemed like an eternity. And by eight-forty five, they still weren't even half way there. In the end, he decided to overtake as they reached the highway. Traffic was a little more sparse then, luckily, so he could pass more easily and the lanes opposite were pretty bare.  
  
"Daddy, can we stop? I need to use the bathroom," Amelia said from the back. Andy had just started to overtake the car in front when she asked and he looked into the mirror to answer her.  
  
"You'll have to wait until-" he started. He had taken his eyes off the road for a mere instant when he glanced back and saw it. A huge piece of metal, with lights flashing and horns blaring, hurtling towards them. For that he had turned his head had been just a second too late. It was all happening with milliseconds as Andy tried to sharply brake and swerve out of the way of the truck but to no avail. His face was deathly pale as he realised what was about to happen. The truck was just inches from his car when the scream came, and Andy understood again suddenly that Amelia was there.  
  
"Daddy!" the innocent five-year-old girl shrieked. For the last moment, he looked at her, his eyes almost apologetic as he saw her terrified face, eyes huge as she grasped her favourite doll. And then it hit. All over in seconds. Everything had happened in less than half a minute as lights flashed, horns blared, other cars swerved and suddenly, the car and lorry hit, slamming into each other with such force that it was as though they were moulding together. A mass of piercing screams, the explosion of metal, the shattering of glass as the two vehicles collided, crashing and twirling furiously with each other sliding along the rain-soaked highway. And suddenly, it all stopped, silencing filling the air.  
  
For a moment, it was calm until the shrieks started again and cars honked from the distance and then, the wail of sirens. And as people regained their senses and once everything had sunk in, they ran from their cars to where the two vehicles were trapped together. Steel was wrapped against metal, thousands of shards of glass everywhere, with passengers trapped inside. The car seemed destroyed beyond recognition, as was the front of the lorry. Within moments, fire engines, police cars and ambulances were surrounding the entire area. The emergency crew hurled themselves out of their vehicles to where the site of the accident and were horrified at what they saw. It seemed like they had merged into one and it was hard to distinguish between at first glance. It was nearly impossible to believe there were any survivors.  
  
Firemen rushed to the scene and tried to determine who was alive and who was dead. Traffic everywhere had come to a halt and there was a huge crowd around them at this point. Some of the motorists had already tried to determine any survivors and one man, who had already said he was a doctor, attempted to get access but with no luck. Police had already cut the roads off and the firemen looked inside the car to see who was there and then they it, saw him. His face was drenched in blood and his whole body forced into an impossible space. Two of them saw instantly that his neck was at an ungodly angle and knew he was dead. They looked at each other, horrified and sad. A doctor had saw also and although he knew there was no possible way he could still be alive, searched for a pulse anyway, and didn't find one.  
  
"The driver's dead," the middle-aged doctor announced hoarsely. Michael Harris hadn't been a doctor for very long and had never seen anything like it. He knew that sight would haunt him for the rest of his life. He looked more amongst the car, or what was left of it and saw the young girl in the back. "There's someone else inside the car," he declared to the fireman next to him, who tried to open the door but everything was so crushed, he simply couldn't. The highway patrol had since arrived and several were now trying to open the driver's door of car open with a crowbar.  
  
Meanwhile, paramedics announced that the passenger of the truck was also dead and the driver was breathing but just barely. They had managed to get the man from the lorry out and were in the process of freeing the driver.  
  
An hour and a half passed and they managed to get to Amelia and realised she was still breathing but her tiny legs had been crushed beyond belief. The chance of being able to walk again, if she even survived, was virtually unattainable. The paramedics knew that her right leg would have to be amputated and while her left leg wasn't as bad, would need treatment for months to come, it seemed. She had been unconscious when they freed her and were about to rush her straight to hospital so they could operate.  
  
"Does anybody know who she is?" a cop asked. A passer-by had stopped to see the carnage and instantly recognised her. Her face was covered in as much blood as the other victims so they could identify her. The woman had a son at Amelia's playgroup and while she barely knew her, she could see who it was.  
  
"Oh my god." she cried, covered her mouth with her hands in horror. The policeman noticed and walked to her. "That's.umm.her name.is.oh god." She couldn't continue anymore as the tears streamed down her face.  
  
"I need to know, miss. What information can you give me about her?" he asked, feeling as sickened as her but not showing as openly. The little girl was so innocent, she had her whole life ahead of her, she didn't deserve to die. "Do you know anything about the man in the car with her? Andrew Halliwell?" They had found out who he was after searching through his belongings.  
  
"The girl.that's Amelia.Amelia Halliwell, Andy's daughter.she's only five years old.oh my god.is she okay?.Is Andy alive?.Amy.was Amy Halliwell with them?"  
  
"There was only Andrew and the little girl in the car. Is Amy the mother and wife?" Elizabeth Morris nodded her head, feeling numb. The policeman had since brought her away from the crowd as the media and television crew and reporters hounded the scene. It was roughly ten-fifteen then. "I'm afraid Andrew died in the crash. Amelia is on her way to the hospital. Do you have a contact for Amy Halliwell." Liz's face was blank as she tried to explain she didn't know the Halliwell's address or number. Just that her son went to the same nursery as Amelia but she barely knew them. As they continued talking, reporters were still hot on the story and firemen tried to clear the mess of tangled vehicles and police diverted oncoming traffic. No cars could pass through and they had to find another way to their destination and the emergency crew knew it would be several more hours before everything returned to normal.  
  
*****  
  
Amy arrived at practise nearly twenty minutes late after the chaos of traffic when she had passed the scene of a car crash. She felt annoyed but there nothing she could have done to make things to faster. But she felt sorry for whoever had been involved in the crash. However, it didn't take her long to forget about it as she and the other guys continued with their training.  
  
Amy didn't get home until five that evening. The roads had been cleared up by then which had made it quicker for her to get home, Andy and Amelia were due to have been back at four so she was shocked to find their house empty. At first she had assumed they had gone to the park or out for food but Amy suddenly felt strange when she discovered they hadn't left a note. And when she tried to call Andy's cell, she instantly felt a cold shiver down her spine. His phone was turned off and she knew then that something was wrong, as he never switched it off.  
  
At twenty past five, Amy was dialling the number to Amelia's playgroup when there was a knock at the door. She slammed the phone down and hurried to answer it, suddenly feeling sick as she saw two policemen standing there.  
  
"Amy Halliwell?" the tallest man asked. She nodded her head in response, as her throat was too dry to speak. She opened the door for them as they walked in and sat down. "I'm afraid your husband and daughter were involved in a car crash this morning. We've been trying to contact you all day. A lorry collided with their car." he told her sadly and dreaded the next part. ".Andrew was killed instantly. Amelia is currently at the hospital with serious injuries. I'm terribly sorry." Amy knew what they had been about to tell her but still wasn't prepared for what they said. She literally felt like someone had stabbed her a thousand times.  
  
"This can't be happening. I only saw them this morning. Andy's been at work all day and my daughter was at her playgroup. Please tell me this is a mistake," she begged. The ears were running down her face and she couldn't breathe.  
  
"I'm sorry. It happened about eight-fifty this morning. We tried to call you but there was no answer. We can take you to the hospital now if you like." Amy said not a word as she left the house slowly with the two policemen. They felt like monsters for having to tell her the devastating news. In one simple sentence, her life had been torn apart. To Amy, it was even more disturbing to know that she had driven past the scene that morning. As they drove to the hospital in the police car, the tears fell freely and her entire body ached. It was too much to process and she began feeling dizzy.  
  
They arrived at the hospital at quarter to six and Amy flew up to Amelia's room. Nothing could have prepared her for the sight before her. Her baby girl lying lifelessly on the hospital bed, hooked up to what seemed like thousands of tubes and wires, with monitors everywhere in the room. A doctor and nurse stood next to the bed, writing some notes and examining her when they noticed Amy, looking horrified. This wasn't her daughter. Amelia was a beautiful, happy, bubbly little girl, not this pale helpless child lying motionlessly.  
  
"Are you her mother?" the doctor asked. She hadn't seen them in the room yet and nearly jumped out of her skin when he spoke. Amy nodded numbly. "I'm Doctor Harris. Amelia has suffered from some serious injuries. She had multiple compound fractures of both legs, a shattered left hip, a broken pelvis and severe internal bleeding. Her condition was too serious...we had no other choice but to perform emergency surgery. We've replaced her hip, repaired her pelvis with pins and fixed the bleeding. The surgery was successful until complications arose and a blood clot formed in her right leg. The damage was far too serious. I'm afraid we had no other choice but to amputate. She will be unable to walk again on her own but we may be able to replace her with a prosthetic leg. We also had to remove her spleen and there is also the possibility of some head trauma. We've done some tests and are currently awaiting the results. Mrs. Halliwell, I should warn you that Amelia's body suffered a great deal in the accident, possibly too much for her to handle. The surgery was successful but a lot for her body to take. The next twenty-four hours are crucial for her now and it's touch-and- go from here."  
  
Amy tried to make sense of it all. It was too much to process. A few short hours ago, her life had been wonderful and now, her husband was dead and her daughter's life was hanging on by a thread. Her life had come crumbling down around her. They were all she had left in the world.  
  
The doctor and nurse left her with Amelia then and Amy slowly walked over to her bedside. She sat on the chair next to the bed and picked up her daughter's cold frail hand and kissed it. The tears were absolutely pouring down her cheeks but she barely notice, nor the burning sensation in her eyes. All she felt was her heart being wrenched out from her chest. She let Amelia's hand drop down to the bed as she covered her face and sobbed. Amy stayed like that for an hour, just curled up in a ball and crying. Eventually though, she managed to drift off to sleep.  
  
At nine o'clock that night, Dr. Harris came in with the test results. Amy was awake by then and looked almost as pale as Amelia. His face was sombre as he forced a smile to his patient's mother. No matter how many times he had dealt with these situations, it never got any easier.  
  
"Mrs. Halliwell, I've got the results back from the tests...Amelia's brain isn't functioning anymore. The effects of today were simply too much for her. I'm afraid there's nothing more we can do. It's unlikely she will ever wake up from her coma," he told her, as he watched her face shatter.  
  
Amy knew what the doctor was telling her. Her precious little girl was brain-dead and she had to decide whether or not to turn her life-support machine off. But how could she make a decision like that? Why was it up her to if her daughter should live or die? Amy felt so many things she couldn't differienciate one emotion from the other. Hate, anger, sadness, disbelief was just the start.  
  
She sat for hours on the chair, staring at her little baby. She said or did nothing. Just listening to the clock as the seconds ticked away. At two o'clock in the morning, she leaned foward, grasped Amelia's hand in hers and kissed her for ages, willing for movement or some sign of life. But nothing. Absolutely nothing happened and Amy knew in her heart of hearts, she'd already gone. Her baby had passed away and she knew it was cruel to just leave her hanging on. In the end, she grabbed Amelia's favourite pink teddy bear and placed it next to her on the bed.  
  
"Amelia, I love you so much. You've brought me so much happiness the past five years and nothing on no one can replace that. But it's time to let you go now, Angel. Tell Daddy I love him and make sure he looks after you or I'll come up there and kick his ass," she said with a small laugh as she stroked her beautiful little face. "I will love you forever and you'll always be with me. We'll be together again one day. Bye, baby. Fly." And with that, she placed a kiss on her forehead and as hard as it was, Amy left her bedside to tell Dr. Harris it was time. She'd said her goodbyes, as heart-wrenching as it was. And at 2:26am, Amy said her final goodbyes to her baby daughter as the life-support machine was switched off.  
  
Later that night, she went to the Chapel Of Rest where her husban's body lay. To Amy, it just looked like Andy was sleeping, only this time he wouldn't wake up. She stayed there for a while and talked to him. She asked him to take care of Amelia, told him she loved him and promised never to fall in love again. After such a painful life, Andy had been the one thing she'd thought would last forever. And he had given her Amelia, something she would always be thankful for. Andy had helped her recover from a life of loss so now even at just twenty-four, she had promised to never to love again but after all he had done for her, she owed him that much at least. Saying goodbye to him was one of the hardest things she had ever experienced. But Amy knew she would always love him.  
  
In less than twenty-four hours, her life had collapsed around her. She'd lost the two most important people in her life and she had a long, hard journey ahead of her to grieve and recover. What Amy didn't know though, was her 'journey' would lead her onto a path of self-destruction. 


End file.
